Shakespeare/Pop Music: Broadway - shakespeareandpopularmusic shakespeareandpopularmusic INTRODUCTION Although considered part of the classical theatrical canon today, Shakespeare's plays were an important part of the popular culture of Early Modern England. It seems only fitting that Broadway has made these plays part of popular culture again by adapting them into musicals. Very little academic research and/or writing, however, is available on this topic. In order to remedy the situation, this page has compiled a working archive of resources on Broadway musicals based on Shakespeare's plays, in the hopes that this will generate further interest and analysis. Most of the research that went into creating this page is centered on Broadway specifically, but a list of non-Broadway musicals has also been included in order to show that this phenomenon is by no means centered in one locale. To date, this archive includes the names of twenty-two Shakespearean musical productions. These productions have been produced in the United States, England, and Prague and have been performed in numerous other countries. Shakespeare's romantic comedies are the genre of play most often adapted into musical productions. Sixteen of the twenty-two productions included in this archive are based on Shakespearean romantic comedies.

The Comedy of Errors, which was the first Shakespeare play to ever be adapted into a musical, is tied with Twelfth Night for the most number of musical theatre adaptations, at four productions each (Comedy of Errors: The Boys from Syracuse, Oh, Brother! , The Bomb-itty of Errors, and Da Boyz/Twelfth Night: Play On!, Music Is, Love and Let Love, Your Own Thing), while A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet follow close behind with three different musical theatre adaptations (A Midsummer Night's Dream: Swingin' The Dream, Babes in the Wood, and The Donkey Show: A Midsummer Night's Dream Disco/Hamlet: Rockabye Hamlet, The Lion King, and Hamlet The Rock Opera). Besides Hamlet, three other Shakespearean tragedies have been adapted into musicals: Romeo and Juliet (West-Side Story and Sensations), King Lear (Pop!) and Macbeth (From a Jack to a King). No evidence has been yet found of a history play having been turned into a musical. Popular music has also been appropriated by many of these productions.

Swing (The Brothers of Syracuse, Swingin' the Dream, Play On!) , Rock and Roll (Two Gentlemen of Verona, Rockabye Hamlet, Your Own Thing, From a Jack to a King and Hamlet The Rock Opera), Hip-Hop/Rap (The Bomb-itty of Errors and Da Boyz), and Reggae (The Big Life) are all examples of musical genres that have been appropriated by Broadway musicals - whose songs, incidentally, also sometimes become the stuff of popular music (Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story, Lion King, and so forth). The fluid relationship between Shakespeare and popular music in Broadway productions deserves further consideration, as does the fact that many of these productions are using Shakespeare and popular music not simply to make money, but also to discuss issues of both race (Swingin' the Dream) and gender (Kiss Me Kate) or both (Play On!).

Theatre Royal Stratford East's 2005 production of The Big Life, for example, uses Reggae music and the plot-line of Love Labour's Lost to tell the historically true story of Caribbean immigrants who set sail for England in the 1950s on the SS Empire Windrush because they had been promised both jobs and a better life by the English government who very much needed their help to re-build after the war. Some of the questions that productions like The Big Life require academics to ask of themselves include: 1) Can popular music be used in musical adaptations of Shakespeare to talk-back to colonial/patriarchal imperatives and to de-centralize the hegemonic authority of Shakespeare's works? (And if so how are they able to do this? ); 2) Does the capitalist form of Broadway musical productions make it impossible to de-centralize power of any kind in these musical adaptations of Shakespeare? (And, if so, what are Shakespeare and popular music doing in these productions anyway? i.e. What purpose do they serve?). Hopefully, the information that follows below will help to stimulate interest in these questions and, perhaps, even help to generate a few more. Enjoy!

SHAKESPEARE MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS ON BROADWAY The Muppets and Christopher Reeve sing "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" from Kiss Me Kate Creative Team: Music by Richard Rogers, Lyrics by Lorenz Hart, Book by George Abbott. Date/Location: November 23, 1938 - June 10, 1939 at Alvin Theatre. (235 Performances). SYNOPSIS: Based on The Comedy of Errors, this is the first known musical production of one of Shakespeare's play. The play was originally devised by Roger and Hart to showcase the talents of Hart's comedian younger brother, Teddy, who looked a lot like another well-known comedian, Jimmy Savo. Both Teddy Hart and Jimmy Savo starred in the production as the twins Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse. The plot is relatively faithful to Shakespeare's original (itself an adaption of a play by Plautus) and the play's score is influenced by 1930's swing music. The humour in the play, which was often sexual in nature, was critiqued at the time for being obscene.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The play was revived once off-Broadway (Theatre Four: April 15, 1963 - June 28, 1964) and once on Broadway (American Airlines Theatre: July 23, 2002 - August 18, 2002). It was also made into a movie in 1940 (Universal Studios Film) and into a television production in 1986 (Canadian Broadcast Company). In 2003 the Theatre Royal Stratford East in London premiered a hip-hop adaptation of The Boys From Syracuse called Da Boyz. Broadway Revival Info: Film Production Info: The Mamas & The Papas sing "Sing For Your Supper" from The Boys of Syracuse Documentary about 2007 Northwestern University Re-Make of The Boys from Syracuse Producer: Erik Charrell in association with Jean Rodney. Creative Team: Music by Jimmy Van Heusen, Lyrics by Eddie de Lange, Book by Gilbert Seldes and Eri Charrell. Date/Location: November 29, 1939 - December 9, 1939 at Center Theatre. (13 Performances).

SYNOPSIS: Starring Louis Armstrong as Bottom, this musical version of a Midsummer's Night Dream is set in 1890's New Orleans, where the action of the plays moves from the Governor's Mansion to the Voodoo Wood. White actors were cast in the roles of the aristocracy, whereas black actors were cast to play the roles of the fairies and mechanicals. Very little is known about the script, as only a small segment of it has survived, but the songs, similar to The Boys From Syracuse, were influenced by 1930's swing music. The segment of the script that has survived can be found at the following link: . Corrigan, Alan. "Jazz, Shakespeare, and Hybridity: A Script Excerpt from Swinging The Dream." Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal for Shakespeare Appropriation. 1.1 (2005). Online. Teague, Fran. "Swingin' Shakespeare from Harlem to Broadway." Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal for Shakespeare Appropriation. 1.1. (2005). Online. Producer: Saint Subber and Lemuel Ayers.

Creative Team: Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter, Book by Bella Spewack and Samuel Spewack. Date/Location: December 30, 1948 - July 28, 1950 at New Century Theatre and July 31, 1950 - July 28, 1951 at Shubert Theatre (1077 Performances). SYNOPSIS : Featuring songs by Cole Porter, this musical adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew was nominated for (and won) six Tony Awards when it premiered on Broadway, including the award for Best Musical. Written as an attempt to mimic the new genre of the integrated musical (which was developed by Roger and Hammerstein in their musical Oklahoma!) the play features a play-within-a-play where the drama on-stage mirrors the real-life drama going on off-stage. Featuring a well-known scene, where the male protagonist, Fred Graham, turns the female protagonist, Lilli Vanessi, over his knee and spanks her in an effort to tame his un-ruly ex-wife, Kiss Me Kate has been critiqued by feminists scholars for romanticizing acts of violence towards women.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The play was revived on Broadway twice (January 8, 1952 - January 12, 1952 at Broadway Theatre and November 18, 1999 - December 30, 2001 at Martin Beck Theatre). It was also made into a film adaptation in 1953 (MGM) and was adapted twice for television, once in 1958 for Hallmark Hall of Fame and once in 1968 for the American Broadcast Company (ABC). The 1999 play revival was filmed by The Performance Company in 2003 and was presented as part of PBS' Great Performances series on February 26, 2003. Christensen, Ann C. "Petruchio's House in Postwar Surburbia: Reinventing the Domestic Woman (Again)." 17.1. (1997): 28-42. Print. William, Paul. "Breaking the Fourth Wall: 'Belascoism', Modernism, and a 3-D Kiss Me Kate." Film History. 16.3.

(2004): 229 - 242. Print. 2nd Broadway Revival Info: Film Production Info: Hallmark Hall of Fame Info: ABC Production Info: PBS Production Info: Trailer for Film Version of Kiss Me Kate (1953) Part 1 of PBS Special of 1999 Revival of Kiss Me Kate Producer: Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince. Creative Team: Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Arthur Laurents, Conceived by Jerome Robbins. Date/Location: September 26, 1957 - February 28, 1959 at Winter Garden Theatre, March 2, 1959 - May 10, 1959 at Broadway Theatre, and May 11, 1959 - June 27, 1959 at Winter Garden Theate (732 Performances). SYNOPSIS: Based on Romeo and Juliet, this play is a response to actual historical events that were going on in the United States at the time of the play's inception.

Specifically it was a response to an escalation of gang violence in New York due, in part, to widespread immigration of Puerto Ricans to New York in the 1950's. Featuring songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, this play won Best Musical at the Tony Awards in 1958. PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The play was revived four times on Broadway (April 27, 1960 - December 10, 1960 at the Winter Garden and the Alvin Theatre, April 8, 1964 - May 3, 1964 at the City Center, February 14, 1980 - November 30, 1980 Minskoff Theatre, and March 19, 2009 - Present at the Palace Theatre). It was made into a movie in 1961 (United Artists). Original Production Info: PRODUCTION INFO: Producer: Mitchell Maxwell, Eric Nederlander, Thomas Hall, Hal Luftwig, Bruce Lucker, Mike Skipper, and Victoria Maxwell. Creative Team: Book by Cheryl L. West with Songs by Duke Ellington.

Date/Location: March 20, 1997 - May 11, 1997 at Brooks Atkinson Theatre. (61 Performances.) SYNOPSIS: Set in the Magical Kingdom of Harlem in the 1940's, this adaptation of Twelfth Night tells the story of Vi, a young woman from the country who dresses up as a man upon arriving in New York to enhance her chances of gaining employment. Vi eventually gains employment with a man named Duke, who is in love with a lounge singer named Lady Liv. The play features songs written by Duke Ellington and Duke Ellington's granddaughter, Mercedes Ellington, provided the choreography for the production. PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The play was originally produced at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 1997 before being produced on Broadway. PBS aired a performance of the play as part of its Great Performances Series in 2000. Producer: Disney Theatrical Productions. Creative Team: Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, and Book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi. Date/Location: November 13, 1997 - Present at New Amsterdam Theatre and Minskoff Theatre.

SYNOPSIS: The Lion King is Julie Taymor's re-envisioning of the Disney movie by the same name, which borrows many of its plots elements from Hamlet. Besides the musical score, written by Elton John and Tim Rice, the most notable aspect of this production is Taymor's use of masks and puppets. The Lion King won the 1998 Tony Award for best musical, as well as four other Tonys for best direction, costume design, set design, lighting design and choreography. Gavin, Rosemarie. "The Lion King and Hamlet: A Homecoming for the Exiled Child." English Journal. 85.3. (1996): 55-58. Print. Modenessi, Alfredo Michel. "Disney's War Efforts: The Lion King and Education for Death, or Shakespeare Made Easy for your Apocalyptic Convenience." Ilha do Desterro: A Journal of Language and Literature. 49. (2005): 397-415. Online. (Note that a more recent version of this essay has been published in Apocalyptic Shakespeares, eds. Caroline Jess Cook and Melissa Croteau.

Jefferson N.C and London: McFarland Publishers, 2009: 181-196. Print). The essay focuses primarily on the film. Wickstrom, Maurya. "Commodities, Mimesis, and The Lion King: Retail Theatre for the 1990's." Theatre Journal. 51.2. (1999): 285-299. Print. Part 1 of Documentary About the Making of the Lion King Other Productions Original Production Info: Oh, Brother! is based on The Comedy of Errors. November 10, 1981 - November 11, 1981 at ANTA Playhouse. Original Production Info: SHAKESPEARE MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS OFF BROADWAY Off-Broadway 1. As You Like It based on As You Like It. October 27, 1964 - October 27, 1964 at Lucille Lortel Theatre. Production Info: 2. Babes in the Wood based on A Midsummer Night's Dream.

December 28, 1964 - February 7, 1965 at Orpheum Theatre. Production Info: 3. Love and Let Love based on Twelfth Night. January 03, 1968 - January 14, 1968 at Sheridan Square Playhouse. Production Info: 4. Your Own Thing based on Twelfth Night. January 13, 1968 - April 5, 1970 at Orpheum Theatre. Production Info: 5. Sensations based on Romeo and Juliet. October 25, 1970-November 8, 1970 at Theatre Four. Production Info: 6. Pop! based on King Lear. April 3, 1974 - April 3, 1974 at Players Theatre. Production Info: 7. Return to the Forbidden Planet based on The Tempest. October 13, 1971 - April 26, 1992 at Variety Arts Theatre. Production Info: 8. The Donkey Show: A Midsummer's Night Disco based on A Midsummer Night's Dream.

April 18, 1999 - July 16, 2005. Production Info: 9. The Bomb-itty of Errors based on The Comedy of Errors. December 12, 1999 - June 18, 2000 at 45 Bleecker/Bleecker Street Theatre. Production Info: and Rap Prologue to The Bomb-Itty of Errors West-End 1. From a Jack to a King based on Macbeth at Boulevard Theatre and Ambassadors Theatre (1992). 2. Da Boyz based on The Comedy of Errors at Theatre Royal Stratford East (2003). 3. The Big Life based on Love's Labour Lost at Theatre Royal Stratord East (2005). Scene from The Big Life at Theatre Royal Stratford East (2005) Elsewhere 1. Hamlet The Rock Opera based on Hamlet at the Kalich Theatre in Prague (1999). Interview with Jared Ledecky Creator of Hamlet The Rock Opera Hamlet The Rock Opera in Czech Hamlet The Rock Opera in English Christensen, Ann C.

"Petruchio's House in Postwar Surburbia: Reinventing the Domestic Woman (Again)." 17.1. (1997): 28-42. Print. This article discusses the 1953 film adaptation of "Kiss Me Kate" in relation to the re-domestication of women in post-war American suburbia. After the war, women who worked in factories were forced to vacate their positions for returning soldiers. They were expected, in turn, to marry these soldiers and because suburban housewives. Corrigan, Alan. "Jazz, Shakespeare, and Hybridity: A Script Excerpt from Swinging The Dream." Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal for Shakespeare Appropriation. 1.1 (2005). Online. This article includes a script excerpt from a little known musical adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" starring Louis Armstrong in the role of Bottom. The production only lasted for thirteen performances and most of the script has not survived. Along with the script excerpt, the essay also contains embedded mp3 clips of some of the songs from the show as well as photos of the production. Negron-Munater, Frances.

"Feeling Pretty: West Side Story and Puerto Rican Identity Discourses." Social Text.18.2. (2000): 83-106. Print. This article problematizes the depiction of the Puerto Rican immigrant community of New York in the film version of "West Side Story." The article discusses the fact that the play's creators did very little research before devising the production and that Stephen Sondheim at first was opposed to the idea because he felt that he could not relate to the experiences of the characters that he was writing about. Miller, D. "West Side Story." Theatre Journal. 61.3. (2009): 479-481. Print This is a scholarly review of the 2009 Broadway revival of "West Side Story," which attempted to deal with some of the criticisms against the original work by casting actors of Puerto Rican descent in the roles of the Puerto Rican characters and by translating some of the play's lyrics into Spanish. Sanders, Julie. Shakespeare and Music: Afterlives and Borrowings. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007. Print.

Julie Sanders' book is an excellent introduction to anyone interested not only in musical adaptations of Shakespeare on Broadway, but also Shakespeare and popular music throughout history. It contains chapters/information on Shakespeare and Jazz Music, Shakespeare and Classical Music, Shakespeare and the Ballet, Shakespeare and Film Scores/Movie Songs, Shakespeare and the Opera, and Shakespeare and Musicals. Most of the information she provides is simply factual. There is very little attempt by Sanders at deeper analysis and she analyzes Shakespeare films with musical numbers and musical adaptations of Shakespeare together which is confusing and also a little bit naive. Nevertheless, if you do not know much about the topic and are interested in learning more, this is a good place to start. Teague, Frances. Shakespeare and the American Popular Stage. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print. This is a fascinating and well researched book that mainly focuses on American musical adaptations of Shakespeare. It also provides information about Shakespeare on the American popular stage before the invention of the stage musical. Especially interesting is Teague's discussion of the use of Shakespeare in Vaudeville and how this inclusion of the high-brow into the low-brow highlights societal tensions that were created in America by the rise of the middle-class.

Teague, Fran. "Swingin' Shakespeare from Harlem to Broadway." Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal for Shakespeare Appropriation. 1.1. (2005). Online. This essay contains a plot outline of the Broadway musical "Play On!", which premiered on Broadway in1997 after enjoying a more successful run at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. As well as an outline of the script, the essay contains photos and embedded mp3 tracks from the musical, which appropriates the music of Duke Ellington to score the story of a young woman named Vi, who travels to the Magical Kingdom of Harlem in the 1940's looking for work. The essay also, briefly, compares the 1997 production of "Play On!" to the 1939 production of "Swingin' the Dream," which starred Louis Armstrong in the role of Bottom and actually used the talents of swing/jazz musicians from the Harlem Renaissance. William, Paul. "Breaking the Fourth Wall: 'Belascoism', Modernism, and a 3-D Kiss Me Kate." Film History. 16.3. (2004): 229 - 242. Print.

According to the abstract, this article "focuses on the effect of the 3-D motion picture "Kiss Me Kate" directed by George Sidney, released in 1953, had on the motion picture industry." William states that this is one of the last films to be produced using the old stereoscopic process of 3D films, which was originally designed to increase audience participation with the media but which eventually became a commercial gimmick used rarely in the film industry (Note: This article was written before the release of "Avatar" ). LINKS This website is a "peer-reviewed, online, multimedia Shakespeare journal" (website) and is also a great resource for anyone interested in the study of Shakespeare and Popular Music. As well as containing articles on musical adaptations of Shakespeare's works, issues of the journal (which are all archived online) contain articles on Shakespeare and Jazz, Shakespeare and Rap, and Shakespeare and Country Music. This is the official website of "Hamlet The Rock Opera" which is a musical that was developed and written (both book, music, and lyrics) by Czech composer Janek Ledecky.

In 1999, the musical opened in Prague in the brand new Kalich Theatre (which was built specifically for the play). It was a huge success, running for 650 performances. "Hamlet The Rock Opera" has since been produced in Slovakia, in Korea, and in the United States (in translation). The website contains information in English on the play's history, design, music, and author, as well as photos, music clips and video clips from the production. This is the official website of PBS's "Great Performances Series," which is a "continuing primetime performance on showcase on American television" that "bring the best in the performing arts across America and around the world to a US [and Canadian] television audience" (website). On February 26, 2003 "Great Performances" aired a filmed version of the 1999 Broadway revival of "Kiss Me Kate." Information about this television performance, the 1999 Broadway revival, and the original production of "Kiss Me Kate" can be found at this website, which also includes information for educators and an Encyclopedia of Composers and Songwriters.

This is the official website of the musical "The Bomb-itty of Errors," which has enjoyed a successful run off-Broadway (1999), as well as successful production in Chicago, London, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This website contains information on the play's authors and current productions, as well as video clips, photos, and reviews. This is an excellent information for anyone interested in the study of Broadway musicals. This website allows users to search for information by show, people, organizations, theatres, or season and contains on producers, locations (theatre spaces), production runs, revivals, awards, cast and crew lists, song lists, and musical recordings for original Broadway productions. The website search engine, however, is not as intelligent as Google is so be careful of your spelling when you try to look up a production. This is IMDB website that most internet users are familiar with. It is useful for gaining just the basic information (name of director, cast, release dates etc.) of film productions that are based on Shakespeare musicals or to look up basic information about film productions in general.

This website allows users to look up similar information that they would be able to look up in The Internet Broadway database but for off-Broadway productions (in New York) instead. This website contains the same issues with its search engine that was mentioned above for the Internet Broadway Database. This is the official website of The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, where the musical "Play On!" was first produced before it was produced on Broadway in 1999. The website is mainly used as a forum for ticket-sales, but it does contain minimal information about past productions under its History webpage. This is the official website of Theatre Royal Stratford East (in London, England) which has produced two recent musical adaptations of Shakespeare's works, "Da Boys" based on "The Comedy of Errors" in 2003 and "The Big Life" based on "Love's Labour Lost" in 2005. The website contains no information of the first production in its online archive (which only goes back to 2004), but the online archive does contain a brief synopsis of "The Big Life." Much like the website of The Old Globe Theatre, however, this website is also mainly a vehicle for ticket-sales to current productions.

LESSON PLANS For information on how to teach Shakespeare to students by having them develop their own musical production of a Shakespearean text, click on Lesson Plans - Broadway for more information. This page contains three lesson plans (one for Language Arts, one for Music, and one for Drama) that are designed to introduce Grade 6 students to Romeo and Juliet. They can easily be adapted, however, to teach other plays or grade levels. All lesson plans on this website are based on the curriculum guidelines developed by the Ontario Ministry of Education. The Boys from Syracuse - Wikiquote The Boys from Syracuse Jump to: navigation , search The Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart , based on William Shakespeare 's play, The Comedy of Errors , as adapted by librettist George Abbott . The score includes swing and other contemporary rhythms of the 1930s. The show was the first musical based on a Shakespeare play. Falling in love with love Is falling for make believe. Falling in love with love Is playing the fool; Caring too much is such a juvenile fancy. Learning to trust is just For children in school.

I fell in love with love one night When the moon was full, I was unwise with eyes Unable to see. I fell in love with love, With love everlasting, The Boys From Syracuse 1997 - Lyrics by Lorenz Hart Lyrics by Lorenz Hart The Boys From Syracuse 1997 Random Quote: What Can You Do With A Man? Falling in love with love Lyrics The Shortest Day Of The Year This Can't Be Love Lyrics Reprise: This Can't Be Love Lyrics Reprise: The Shortest Day of the Year Finale Act I: Let Antipholus In Ladies of the Evening You Have Cast Your Shadow On The Sea Come With Me Finale Act II: "This Can't Be Love Lyrics " Label: DRG #94767 - Original Release Date: September 16, 1997 Overview 33" nowrap> Reviews: 1938 saw the creation of one of Rodgers and Hart's most successful musicals, The Boys from Syracuse. The basic plot was taken from Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors, a tale of mistaken identity and misplaced twin brothers.

Lorenzo Hart's younger brother, a comedian named Teddy, was featured in a prominent role as one of the servants (both named Dromio). Highlights in the score include "Falling in Love with Love," "What Can You Do with a Man?" and " Sing For Your Supper ." Sarah Erlewine The Boys from Syracuse was the first musical to be based on a play by William Shakespeare, and it is still one of the best. Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, and George Abbott used The Comedy of Errors as a springboard to show off their own genius. They came up with a youthful, hilarious show, well represented on this recording of the 1997 Encores! concert production. The Show The Comedy of Errors may have been Shakespeare's first play, and it is based on The Menaechmi by the Roman playwright Plautus. Plautus' play is about the confusion caused by a set of identical twins separated in infancy. Shakespeare doubled the confusion by adding an additional set of twins who act as servants to the first set. This plot is, of course, familiar to moviegoers from movies like Big Business or the hilarious Start the Revolution Without Me.

The Boys from Syracuse stays fairly close to Shakespeare's play. The twins' father is brought before the Duke of Ephesus. He is looking for his son, Antipholus, who is looking for his brother, also named Antipholus. Since the old man is from Syracuse, he is sentenced to death. Elsewhere, Antipholus of Syracuse is disgusted with Ephesus and wants to go home. Of course, he is mistaken for his brother, Antipholus of Ephesus. Of course, his servant, Dromio, is mistaken for his twin brother, Dromio. Of course, all ends happily after much running around and confusion. The idea for this show originated with Rodgers, who suggested to Hart that they do a musical based on Shakespeare. Part of Hart's enthusiasm for the idea came from brotherly affection: his brother Teddy was a comedian who was often confused with another comedian: the Dromio's would be perfect roles for them. George Abbott directed the show and wrote the book, and it was a modest hit. The Score Although Pal Joey is often regarded as the best score written by Rodgers and Hart, I like this one better.

Rodgers was a great musical genius of the integrated, unconventional musical, but his best work in that vein was done with Oscar Hammerstein: interesting as Joey is, he can't touch Billy Bigelow as a musical theater anti-hero. But for the sort of fanciful yet totally adult sort of song written for The Boys from Syracuse, Rodgers and Hart have never been surpassed. Hart's playfulness never becomes precious. His skill never keeps him from breaking a rule to find a delightful turn of phrase: "I shook the tree of life one day/ and got a cold potato." Rodgers matches him with lovely, unexpected melodies. The score is full of standards: "Falling in Love With Love," " This Can't Be Love ," and "Sing For Your Supper " are the best known songs. The last of these is one of the most often imitated songs from a musical, due largely to choreographer George Balanchine, who staged it in the style of the Boswell Sisters. The Recording Although this is not my favorite recording of the show, it is probably the best one to get. My favorite is the 1963 Off-Broadway cast, which features a brilliant performance from Karen Morrow as Luce.

Her two duets on that album are among the best renditions of comic songs on any cast recording. For authenticity and completeness, though, the Encores! recording is the best choice. This one uses the original Hans Spialek orchestrations rather than the ones Ralph Burns did for the revival. Both sets are good, but these are obviously give a better sense of the score as Rodgers intended it to be heard and have a wonderful period flavor. This recording also features songs not on the 1963 album, most notably Michael McGrath's lovely "Big Brother" and the overture, one of the most exciting and theatrical I've ever heard. The cast is good, and Debbie Gravitte is a fun Luce, if not in Morrow's league. Davis Gaines sings beautifully on his duets with Sarah Uriarte Berry, "You Have Cast Your Shadow on the Sea" and "This Can't Be Love [Lyrics] ." He does not do as well with "Dear Old Syracuse," a song and dance number that requires a rakish ease. Rebecca Luker does her usual lovely, unexciting work (which I prefer to Ellen Hanley's lovely, unexciting work on the 1963 recording).

Malcom Gets of television's Caroline in the City has a fine voice, and it would have been nice to hear more from him. The booklet is very stylishly designed and includes both photographs and a series of Hirschfeld drawings. The notes by Bert Fink and Theodore S. Chapin give a good sense of the history and artistry of the show. What they do not give, however, is a synopsis of the plot. That's a particular problem with The Boys from Syracuse because the score is closely tied to the plot but does not really give the listener enough information to understand what is going on. About: The Boys from Syracuse About: The Boys from Syracuse An Entity of Type : musical , from Named Graph : , within Data Space : dbpedia.org The Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play, The Comedy of Errors, as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemporary rhythms of the 1930s. The show was the first musical based on a Shakespeare play. The Comedy of Errors was itself loosely based on a Roman play, The Menaechmi, or the Twin Brothers, by Plautus.

Property abstract The Boys from Syracuse ist ein Musical mit der Musik von Richard Rodgers und Liedtexten von Lorenz Hart. Das Buch nach William Shakespeares Komödie der Irrungen schrieb George Abbott, der die Show auch produzierte und Regie führte. Die Choreografie erarbeitete George Balanchine. Das Stück gilt als erste Musical-Vertonung eines Shakespeare-Werkes am Broadway. Der Titel ist eine Anspielung auf die Shubert Brothers, die mächtigsten Theaterproduzenten am Broadway, die aus dem New Yorker Städtchen Syracuse stammten. Die Uraufführung fand am 23. November 1938 im Alvin Theatre in New York statt und erreichte 235 Vorstellungen. Ein Off-Broadway-Revival 1963/64 im Theatre Four brachte es auf 500 Vorstellungen. Die Londoner West End-Premiere hatte das Musical am 7. November 1963 im Drury Lane Theatre. Die deutschsprachige Erstaufführung, vom 24.

November 1971 im Theater Pforzheim, unter dem Titel Die Boys von Syrakus, weicht vom Original ab, so wurden u.a. die Tanznummern gestrichen. Den deutschen Text besorgte Heiner Bruns. (de) The Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play, The Comedy of Errors, as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemporary rhythms of the 1930s. The show was the first musical based on a Shakespeare play. The Comedy of Errors was itself loosely based on a Roman play, The Menaechmi, or the Twin Brothers, by Plautus. The play premiered on Broadway in 1938 and Off-Broadway in 1963, with later productions including a West End run in 1963 and in a Broadway revival in 2002. A film adaptation was released in 1940. Well-known songs from the score include "Falling in Love with Love", "This Can't Be Love" and "Sing for Your Supper".

(en) The Boys from Syracuse è una commedia musicale con musica di Richard Rodgers, testi delle canzoni di Lorenz Hart e libretto e regia di George Abbott e con le coreografie di George Balanchine. La commedia debuttò all'Alvin Theatre per il Broadway theatre il 23 novembre 1938 con Eddie Albert e chiuse i battenti il 10 giugno 1939 per un totale di 235 repliche.Nel 2002 fu montato un revival all'American Airlines Theatre per Broadway che chiuse dopo 73 repliche. Nel 1940 la MGM ne realizzò una versione cinematografica per la regia di A. Edward Sutherland. (it) comment The Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play, The Comedy of Errors, as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemporary rhythms of the 1930s. The show was the first musical based on a Shakespeare play.

The Comedy of Errors was itself loosely based on a Roman play, The Menaechmi, or the Twin Brothers, by Plautus. (en) The Boys from Syracuse ist ein Musical mit der Musik von Richard Rodgers und Liedtexten von Lorenz Hart. Das Buch nach William Shakespeares Komödie der Irrungen schrieb George Abbott, der die Show auch produzierte und Regie führte. Die Choreografie erarbeitete George Balanchine.Das Stück gilt als erste Musical-Vertonung eines Shakespeare-Werkes am Broadway. Der Titel ist eine Anspielung auf die Shubert Brothers, die mächtigsten Theaterproduzenten am Broadway, die aus dem New Yorker Städtchen Syracuse stammten.

(de) The Boys from Syracuse è una commedia musicale con musica di Richard Rodgers, testi delle canzoni di Lorenz Hart e libretto e regia di George Abbott e con le coreografie di George Balanchine.La commedia debuttò all'Alvin Theatre per il Broadway theatre il 23 novembre 1938 con Eddie Albert e chiuse i battenti il 10 giugno 1939 per un totale di 235 repliche.Nel 2002 fu montato un revival all'American Airlines Theatre per Broadway che chiuse dopo 73 repliche.Nel 1940 la MGM ne realizzò una versione cinematografica per la regia di A. Edward Sutherland. (it) The LASALLE Show 2012 - Musical Theatre - The Boys from Syracuse - YouTube The LASALLE Show 2012 - Musical Theatre - The Boys from Syracuse Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Apr 17, 2012 THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE is one of the most beloved musicals by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Based on Shakespeare's THE COMEDY OF ERRORS this delightful comedy of mistaken identity features some of Rodgers and Hart's most memorable songs, including Falling in Love with Love, This Can't be Love, Sing for your Supper, The Shortest Day of the Year, and You have Cast your Shadow on the Sea. Directed by Tony Knight, with Bronwyn Gibson (Musical Director), Tiffany Wrightson (Choreographer), Tolis Papazoglou (Set Designer), this production by LASALLE College of the Arts features the talents and skills of all three years of the BA(Hons) Musical Theatre programme, as well as students from the BA(Hons) Technical Theatre and Diploma in Performance programme. THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE is a magical and hilarious musical comedy is an event not to be missed -- a delight for all ages.

Category UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance - Performances/Events - Syracuse (October 2005) Overview Press Release Program Photos Overview Confusion reigns as two sets of identical twins separated at birth end up years later in the town of Ephesus. In a tangled web of preposterous coincidences, wives mistake husbands, servants mistake masters, and townspeople mistake everything in a single hilarious day. Full of physical comedy and farcical mischief, The Boys from Syracuse is a delightful evening of misunderstandings and pandemonium that end in the magical reconciliation of family and true love. Long before West Side Story and Kiss Me, Kate, The Boys from Syracuse was the first musical to be adapted from the works of Shakespeare when it opened in 1938. This runaway Broadway hit combines the madcap antics of vaudeville with Rodgers’ rich melodies and Hart’s witty lyrics. Featuring an impressive number of songs that are considered standards today, including “Falling in Love with Love,” “Sing for Your Supper,” and “This Can’t be Love,” The Boys from Syracuse is as entertaining, vibrant, and riotous as when it first took Broadway by storm.

Press Release UM MUSICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT PRESENTS THE ROGERS AND HART CLASSIC THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE ANN ARBOR — The U-M School of Music Musical Theatre Department presents the musical comedy The Boys from Syracuse by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors in a brilliant musical setting, The Boys from Syracuse plays Oct. 13 at 7:30 PM, Oct. 14 & 15 at 8 PM, and Oct. 16 at 2 PM at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. Directed by Brent Wagner, Associate Professor & Chair of the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Department, the department’s version of The Boys from Syracuse is a whirlwind of farce, comedy, and song. “Mistaken identity is one of the oldest forms of comedy,” Wagner said. “And George Abbott (he wrote the show’s book) was known for his fast-paced comedy style. And this is no exception.” Considered one of Rodgers and Hart’s best musical efforts it’s the songs, according to Wagner, that have given The Boys from Syracuse its distinction. “The score adds a depth to the show that standard comedy doesn’t have,” He said.

“The songs bring a sense of humanity and romance on top of the farce.” Written in the Golden Age of song writing, The Boys from Syracuse features classic songs like, "Falling in Love With Love," "The Shortest Day of the Year," and "You Have Cast Your Shadow on the Sea." Premiering in 1938 and based on Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, The Boys From Syracuse was the first musical written based on a Shakespeare play. “I knew Larry (Lorenz Hart) would like the idea immediately,” Rodgers wrote in the New York Herald in 1963. “Anything that was novel or offbeat was always sure to interest him. So early in 1938, when I suggested that we consider adapting a Shakespearean play into a musical, his eyes quickly lit up and I could almost see sparks coming out of his head.” Rodgers added that since this had never been done before they had unlimited possibilities for selecting a story. But for personal reasons The Comedy of Errors rose to the top of their list. “Larry had a younger brother named Teddy Hart, who was a very clever comedian. But the man he was always being mistaken for was another gifted comic, Jimmy Savo,” Rodgers wrote.

“What about using The Comedy of Errors?’ Larry said, excitedly rubbing his hands together as he always did when a good idea hit him. ‘Teddy and Jimmy Savo would be natural for the twin Dromios.’” Ironically, both Teddy Hart and Jimmy Savo were cast in the original Broadway production. “I knew nepotism should be frowned on,” Rodgers added, “but I also knew this was an inspired idea.” After brief runs at the Schubert Theatres in New Haven and Boston, The Boys from Syracuse opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on Nov. 23, 1938. “I believe it will be regarded as the greatest musical comedy of its time...set to the most captivating, thrilling, humorous music and lyrics in the long and honorable history of Messrs. Rodgers and Hart, and it has a modern and swift moving book,” read the review in the New York Telegram after it opened. The Boys from Syracuse ran on Broadway for nearly 11 months (235 performances) before closing on Oct. 6, 1939.

The Boys from Syracuse has returned to New York twice since—in 1963 Off Broadway at Theatre Four it ran for over 500 performances, and again to Broadway in 2002 at the American Airlines Theater. Joining Wagner on the artistic team are Sharon Halley (Choreographer) Guest Artist in Residence; Jessica Hahn (Costume Designer) Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Theatre & Drama; Cynthia Kortman Westphal (Music Director) Assistant Professor, Musical Theatre; Mark Gordon (Sound Designer) is a professional sound engineer and a staff member in University Productions; Arthur Ridley (Scenic Designer) Lecturer, Dept. of Theatre and Drama and a staff member in University Productions; Andrew Fritsch (Lighting Designer) is a senior design and production student in the Dept. of Theatre and Drama. Click here to view The Boys from Syracuse program.

Question: The Boys from Syracuse is a musical based on which Shakespeare play?
Answer: The Comedy of Errors